Flight
by garden-nomes
Summary: A take on Naomi's trip home after the lake. First fic posting from a long-time lurker. :)


**A/N: **Hiya, been reading so many of these fics, I thought I'd get off my arse and post one myself. Partly AU, a take on what happens after Naomi leaves Emily behind at the lake. Follows Naomi's POV.  
.

.

.

"**_BE BRAVE, AND WANT ME BACK_**!"

The redhead's voice threatened to break something inside Naomi. She knew that what she was doing was cruel.

_Keep walking, Campbell_, the fear told her.

She felt so hollow, but she was so confused by what she was feeling, that it terrified her. When she woke up next to Emily, a cold chill ran through her, and her first instinct was to be as far away as possible, as quickly as possible. It would just have been too awkward. The only flaw in her plan to escape, was that Emily had woken up. She cringed as the shiver ran up her spine at the sound of the redhead's voice.

"Twice. You're gonna do this to me TWICE?"

_FUCK!_ Fight or flight. This was flight.

Naomi didn't need to think about what Emily meant. She tried to tune out the petite redhead as she stalked up the embankment after her. She didn't hear everything, but the tone of her voice stopped Naomi dead in her tracks.

"You fucking stop, right now!"

She turned to look at Emily. And in her eyes she saw the silent question from the redhead. Asking her not to go. Pleading with her to stay.

"What?" the blonde said. She wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole, and it showed in the weakness in her voice.

"Don't you DARE leave me in your bed again!" Emily begged her.

Naomi looked at her. In the second before the words left her lips, she saw the vulnerability in Emily's beautiful brown eyes. She could see the tears that were threatening to spill down her cheeks. But she couldn't look too long. Not when she was so confused about her feelings, and she was so close to losing the fight with herself and either kissing Emily senseless, or breaking down in front of her. For now, though, she just had to be somewhere else, where Emily couldn't cause her emotions to crumble around her.

"I've got to go." Naomi choked out, before turning her back on the redhead and making for home.

But she didn't count on Emily coming after her.

"I know you, Naomi... I know you're lonely. I think you need someone to want you..."

Naomi kept walking away, fighting her emotions and half wishing Emily would stop speaking, so she wouldn't have to feel responsible for making the redhead cry.

"...Well... I DO want you. So... be brave, and want me back!" Emily shouted after her, unable to stop her voice from cracking as she broke down, finally. Naomi tried to think of _anything_ else, anything at all, but as she kept walking, as she felt tears finally slipping down her cheeks, she knew in her heart that she was a coward. The cold feeling finally settled, like a huge brick of ice in her stoamch, as her mind raced with confused thoughts.

Naomi followed the path out of the woods.

"...be brave, and want me back!"

Emily's words bounced around her mind and tore at her heart. Naomi normally was brave, or, she liked to think so. But how she felt about Emily confused her terribly. The feeling of guilt and confusion overcame Naomi, and made her sick to her stomach. Her bike fell to the grass as she leaned over and her stomach contents violently hit the tree she steadied herself against.

"Fuck." she muttered. She straightened herself up, picked up her bike and kept going. She tried not to think, but this was the same path they had taken in, and the memory of the trip in, and the lighthearted mood they had been in, tugged at something in Naomi. She stopped, shut her eyes tight, and blinked back the new tears that were forming.

"Twat." she said, chastising herself for her behaviour. She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and kept going. She really wished she had packed her iPod... anything to drown out the voice in her head telling her what a prick she had been.

.

.

When she got home, she stalked upstairs, ignoring her mother's greeting, went into her room and slammed the door. She sat on her bed with he head in her hands. The note that Emily had left on her pillow, which was now tucked into the corner of her mirror, caught her eye.

"Emily slept here. :-)"

Naomi exhaled slowly, and then tried to comprehend her mixed up emotions. She knew she liked Emily, but it was just how much she liked her that confused her. She wasn't used to the way her feelings overwhelmed her, she also knew that, and that's what made it so awkward.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Not in the mood, mum!"

The door opened, and before she looked up, Naomi snapped, "I SAID, I'm not in the fucking moo-"

Her words died on her lips as she lifted her head to see a slim brunette standing in the doorway.

"Effy." she stated.

The brunette tilted her head and smirked. She walked in and sat down next to Naomi.

"Rough day?" Effy asked. Naomi's troubled blue eyes met Effy's cool grey blue ones. She said nothing.

"Want to talk about it?" Naomi said nothing, but sniffled.

"You've been crying." the brunette said, gently.

_Oh, Effy. You're ever so perceptive,_ Naomi thought to herself. She knew it would sound sarcastic coming from her in her state. She just nodded slowly. She felt worse as she felt tears slipping down her cheeks. It had already dawned on Effy what was bothering the blonde.

"Emily."

Naomi nodded again, sadly. "I've fucked up, Eff. Big time." she choked out.

Effy tilted her head to one side. "Left behind." Naomi's eyes went wide. Effy had always had a mysterious nature about her, and it was usually very unnerving.

"Not even gonna ask how you knew that." Naomi mumbled in a flat tone. Effy simply smirked, got up and opened the window. She pulled out a small tin from her pocket somewhere, though Naomi couldn't pinopint exactly where, and opened it, taking out a spliff. She lit it and took a drag, passing it to Naomi.

"Relax." Effy said. Naomi took a drag off the offered spliff and inhaled, letting the smoke fill her lungs. She exhaled witha deep sigh and leaned bckwards, falling back on her bed.

"Fuck's sake." she muttered. "I'm such a total and utter twat, Eff."

"Why did you leave?" Naomi shot her a glare. "Well, we were all out last night, and you two weren't. Doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

"Oh." Naomi took the spliff from Effy and took another long drag. "I don't know." she said, passing it back to the brunette. Effy looked at her, studying her closely, like she always seemed to.

"Tell me." she said, taking another drag and passing the spliff back across. Naomi finished it, stubbed it out on the window sill and threw the butt into an ashtray. She sighed deeply.

"We slept together." she finally admitted.

Effy showed no emotion. "And?"

Naomi stared at the brunette. "You're not shocked?" she asked. Effy just continued to stare at her with an annoyingly blank expression. "Of course not." Naomi continued. "You know fucking everything."

"Not entirely." Effy smirked. "So... you left." Naomi nodded. Effy pondered this for a minute. "You were scared."

"Terrfied." Naomi said, dryly. "I'm not coping with this at all." the blonde bit her bottom lip.

"Confused."

"Very."

"You like her, though."

Naomi paused. "That obvious?"

"A blind man could see it."

"Oh."

"It's rather blatantly fucking obvious, actually."

Naomi cringed. "Fuck."

"You're unsure, though."

"About Emily?"

"No. About yourself."

"What do you mean?" Naomi asked.

"Emily is sure. You're not. And, and it scares you."

Naomi wondered for the millionth time during the time they had been friends how Effy managed to know so much.

"That's creepy, you know."

Effy shrugged. "True, though."

Naomi sighed deeply. "That obvious?" she asked again.

"Only to those who look close enough."

Naomi hung her head. "How do I fix this, Eff?" the blonde asked, looking for any answer. "Or have I fucked it entirely?"

"Not entirely." the brunette stated. "But you did hurt her."

Naomi groaned. "I know." she nodded. "I'm such a twat." she looked over at Effy. Cool blue grey eyes stared back at her.

"You're not." she paused. "Talk to her." Naomi gave Effy a look. "Not now. She would probably throw the door in your face." she smirked. "Give it a while."

"Why?" Naomi asked.

"Because she is upset, and you need time."

"Time?"

"To stop dicking about and admit that you feel something for her, and be more accepting of it. Stop freaking out."

And with that, Effy left.

.

.

Naomi sat and thought for a very long time, before getting up and walking into the bathroom to take a shower. She found herself crying again as the water spilled over her. She knew Effy was right. Effy was ALWAYS right.

"Be brave, and want me back!" Emily's words stuck in her mind. and also Effy's... stop dicking about.

She didn't want to hurt Emily. And Emily hadn't hurt her, that much was true.

Naomi knew what she had to do.


End file.
